Liz Kelly was named head softball coach for the Maryville softball program September 2012. She is a 15-year coaching veteran with experience spanning NCAA and international softball, including coaching at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Kelly guided the Saints to the best season in program history during the 2016 season. She helped the Saints post a school-record 39 wins as Maryville earned its first bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Not only did Kelly coach the Saints to the postseason but her steady leadership helped Maryville record two wins and to Championship Saturday. The Saints were finally eliminated in extra innings, just short of advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals. During the 2016 season, Kelly oversaw the Saints to historic victories, incuding triumphs over No. 1 Indianapolis and No. 6 Missouri-St. Louis. During her four years at Maryville, the Saints posted 86 wins. She coached six All-Conference selections.
Kelly spent four years as the head coach of the Netherlands Olympic Softball team and was based in Amsterdam. She guided the Dutch to only their second appearance at the Olympics and earned the Netherlands softball “Coach of the Year” Award in 2007. Kelly directed the squad to a third-place finish at the 2005 European Championship and a second-place finish at the 2007 Euros. She also spent nearly two years working as technical operations manager for the Athens Olympic Organizing Committee. Kelly oversaw the entire softball tournament for the 2004 Olympic Games.
Kelly came to Maryville after working the past four years at the International Softball Federation in Plant City, Fla. She served as International Director of Seminars and conducted coaching seminars to train clients in recruiting, prospect evaluation, motivation as well as mental and technical training.
An experienced collegiate coach, Kelly was head coach at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1995 through 2001 where she posted 165 wins with the Gauchos. Her 2000 team won 30 games, the first time a UCSB squad had recorded that many victories in 13 years, and set a school record for conference wins. Kelly coached 12 All-Big West Conference selections and eight Academic All-Conference student-athletes.
Kelly began her coaching career as an assistant at California State University Chico. After four seasons, she took her first head coaching position at Livingston (Ala.) University. She was twice named Conference Coach of the Year twice at the school now known as West Alabama and guided the team to the 1988 Gulf South Conference championship. Kelly then took the head coaching position at Miami (Ohio) University. In four years in Oxford, she helped the RedHawks post their most wins over a four-year span and mentored 10 All-Conference selections, eight Academic All-MAC honorees and two Academic All-Americans. Kelly has also been an assistant coach at Division I schools Toledo, Arizona State and Nevada.
Kelly has also worked as the technical advisor for American’s Baseball Camps in Phoenix, Ariz., as well serving as director of event operations for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in Columbia, Mo. She is a graduate of Utah State University and holds a master’s degree from California State University, Chico.
As a softball player at Utah State, she helped the Aggies win the 1981 AIAW National Championship and was a member of the USU volleyball team for one season. She has been inducted into the Saratoga High and Utah State University Halls of Fame.
